There's nothing quite like an epic final showdown in a movie; after sitting through so much build-up and drama, the final showdown in a movie should be the culmination of all this, a cathartic, explosive, entertaining finale in which the good and bad stare one another down in a battle to the bitter end. Next week's hugely anticipated superhero flick The Wolverine - of which you can read my review
here - demonstrates the importance of a bombastic, action-packed third act with its riotous final sequence, as Wolverine is forced to square off against the dreaded Silver Samurai, one of his most feared comic book foes, while Yukio simultaneously tries to take care of the vicious Viper in a martial arts battle. Will Wolverine be able to fend off his only foe to date capable of withstanding the damage of his adamantium claws? How will Yukio be able to stop the Viper? Some unexpected twists and turns certainly abound, but you'll need to check out the gnarly showdown for yourself next week to find out. Just as James Mangold clearly realised when making The Wolverine, however, these 10 movies certainly knew that they had to deliver an epic final battle to live up to everything that came before. Here are 10 epic final showdowns that changed the game and made our jaws drop, giving us that rare feeling of goosebumps we so desperately crave whenever we go to the cinema. These fight scenes not only lived up to the hype set by the previous 2 hours - they went and downright exceeded it... The Wolverine is released in UK cinemas July 25
10. Ripley vs. Alien Queen - Aliens
James Cameron's Aliens is a classic sci-fi actioner that lets us have our cake and eat it; it's got a thoughtful narrative, transforming Ripley into a protective mother over young Newt, but also hurls her headlong into a number of bracingly intense set-pieces, ensuring that nurturing instinct has to be chanelled into violence. Entirely at odds with the quiet claustrophobia of the first film, Aliens features a fantastically bombastic showdown between Ripley and the alien Queen, with Ripley kitted out in a mechanical loader glimpsed earlier in the movie. As the Queen prepares to make short work of Newt, Ripley arrives and shouts the immortal line, "Get away from her, you b*tch!" before the pair do battle, and Ripley ends up lobbing the Queen out of an airlock. What really makes this one sing is that while it's reliant on technology, Cameron opted for largely practical effects, giving the clanging of metal against the xenomorph a more visceral, authentic feel.